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2023 NBA Awards: 1 dark horse candidate to win each honor

By Jacob Ellerbee

Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns and 76ers C Joel Embiid (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)
Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns and 76ers C Joel Embiid (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

NBA Awards: Josh Giddey enters the running for Most Improved Player in 2023

This is one of the most difficult NBA awards to forecast without having seen any on-court action from players in months. Anthony Edwards is a frequent name I hear from insiders and analysts projecting to make a huge leap forward in his game next season. But a name to watch as a dark horse candidate for the Most Improved Player should be Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey.

The Thunder point guard played really well in a rookie season which was limited to just 54 games. Still, he managed to put up some impressive stats: 12.5 ppg, 7.8 RPG and 6.4 apg. Oklahoma City is unlikely to see much improvement record-wise next season and will continue to focus on developing their players and allowing them ample room to grow.

This means Giddey should be on the court a ton next season and get plenty of chances to showcase what he’s been working on this offseason. We got a glimpse of his improvement during a few games during Summer League where he looked spectacular, including recording a triple-double against the Memphis Grizzlies in an 87-71 blowout win: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).

If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ever requests (and is granted) a trade, Giddey could move into a real contender for this award. Also, an improvement on his three-point shot (26.3%) would be pivotal in making that next leap forward in his game.